Relationship of Teacher Characteristics to Students’ Attitude Toward Science

An investigation on the relationship of teacher characteristics to student attitude toward science is conducted. One hundred-twentyscience teachers are randomly selected from a national database, and contacted. Each science teacher is asked to fill out a short questionnaire which assessesyears teachingand need for control (the belief that teachers need to control student learning and behavior). The questionnaire is scored so that high numbers indicate high need for control. All teachers are asked also to distribute a five-minute attitude towards science survey to their students. Average science attitude scores are drawn for each class. High numbers indicate a positive attitude toward science.

The modelsare illustrated below: unmediated and mediated respectively.

Questions

1) What is the direct effect of years teaching on student’s attitude towards science without the effect of need to control?

2) What is the direct effect of years teaching on need tocontrol?

3) What is the direct effect ofneed tocontrolon student’s attitude towards science?

4) What is the indirect effect of years teaching on student’s attitude towards sciencecontrolling for the effect of need to control? Is this indirect effect statistically significant? What proportion of years of teaching on student’s attitude is mediated by control?

Answers

1) What is the direct effect of years teaching on student’s attitude towards science without the effect of need to control?

The Direct is -.66, in other words, as years of experience increases students’ attitudes decreases.

2) What is the direct effect of years teaching on need tocontrol?

The Direct is .70, in other words, as years of experience increases need tocontrol increases.

3) What is the direct effect of need tocontrolon student’s attitude towards science?

The Direct is -.84, in other words, as need tocontrolincreases students’ attitudes decreases.

4) What is the indirect effect of years teaching on student’s attitude towards science controlling for the effect of need to control? Is this indirect effect statistically significant? What proportion of years of teaching on student’s attitude is mediated by control?

In indirect effect of years teaching on student’s attitude towards science is -.588 (.70 X -.84). The Indirect effect is statistically significant z = 3.04 (.588/.193). Lastly, 88.55% of the effect of years of teaching on student’s attitudes is mediated through need to control (.588/.664 = .8855)

Coefficientsa
Model / Unstandardized Coefficients / Standardized Coefficients / t / Sig.
B / Std. Error / Beta
1 / (Constant) / 65.225 / 1.767 / 36.921 / .000
Years Teaching / -1.025 / .106 / -.664 / -9.650 / .000
a. Dependent Variable: Student's Attitude Towards Science
Coefficientsa
Model / Unstandardized Coefficients / Standardized Coefficients / t / Sig.
B / Std. Error / Beta
1 / (Constant) / .431 / .365 / 1.180 / .240
Years Teaching / .236 / .022 / .703 / 10.728 / .000
a. Dependent Variable: Need for Control
Coefficientsa
Model / Unstandardized Coefficients / Standardized Coefficients / t / Sig.
B / Std. Error / Beta
1 / (Constant) / 66.056 / .882 / 74.925 / .000
Need for Control / -4.095 / .194 / -.890 / -21.160 / .000
a. Dependent Variable: Student's Attitude Towards Science
Coefficientsa
Model / Unstandardized Coefficients / Standardized Coefficients / t / Sig.
B / Std. Error / Beta
1 / (Constant) / 66.883 / 1.082 / 61.797 / .000
Years Teaching / -.119 / .091 / -.077 / -1.309 / .193
Need for Control / -3.846 / .271 / -.835 / -14.181 / .000
a. Dependent Variable: Student's Attitude Towards Science